Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1887-05-06


spirit 10 your work. When the bugle sounds,
the good soldier asks no questions, but shout
ders his knapsack, fills his canteen and listens
for the command of "Marchln Do not get
the idea that your interests and those Of your
employer are antagoniStic. His success will
be your honor His embarrassment will be
your dismay. Expose none OF the frailteS
of the firm. Tell no store secrets DO not
blah Rebuff those persons who come to
find out from clerks what ought never be
known outside the store. DO not be among
those young men who take OH mysterious
mir when something is said against the firm
that employs them, as much as TO say: 81
could tell you some things il would, but |
won't" Do not be among those who imagine
they can build themselves up by pulling
somebody else down. Be not ashamed to be
Il subaitern.
Again | counsel clerks in this house 10
search out what are the unlawful and dis
resist them. In the six thousand years that
have passed, there has never been an occasion
when it was ones duty to sin against God.
1t is never right to do wrong If the head
men OF the firm expect of you dishonesty,
dSSappoint them. CO." you say, a should
lose my place then" Better lose your place
than loss your soul But you will
is always honored You go 10 the
head man of your store, ami say: Isl, |
want to serve YOU: ! want 10 uhliIc Won 1t
Is from no lack az industry on MY pa't hut
this thing seems To me TO he wrong. and il is
sin AGAINST my co science, it is a sin against
God, AMI beg You, sir, to excus, me- He
may flush up and swear, but he will cool
down, and he will have more admiration
for you than for those who sub
NIT to his evil dictation and
while they sink you will rise Do
not, because of seeming temporary advan-
tage, give up your character young man
Under God, that is the only thing you have
to build on. Give up that, yol give up
everything. That employer asks young
man to hurt himself for time and for eternity,
who expects him to make n wrong entry, or
change all invoice, or say goods cost 80 much
when they cost less; or impose upon the
verdancy of customer, or misrepresent
style Of fabric. How dare lie demand of you
anything so inSOlents
There is one style Of temptation that comes
on n great many Of our clerks, and that is
upon those who are engaged in what is called
drumming Now, That occupation is Just
as honorable MS any other if it be con-
Quoted in accord with ones conscience. In
this day, when there are so many rivalrieS in
business, all our commercial establishments
ought so have men abroad who are seeking
outopportunitieSo Of merchandise. There can be
no objection to that. But there are profesSed
Christian merchants in the mcknight
prayel-meeting who have clerks abroad in
New York. conducting merchants of CinCir-
natl. and Chicago, and st. Louis through
the dehauchcries of the great town, in order
to secure their custom for the store. There
are in stores in New York and Brooklyn,
drawers in which there are kept moneys
which the clerks are to go to and get what
ever they want to conduct these
people through the designations of the
city. The heal men of the firm wink at it,
and in some places actually demand it-pro
fesSed Christian merchants One would think
that the PRAYER would freeze on their lips,
and they would fall back dead at the sound of
their own song. What chance is there for
young men when commercial establish
ments expect such things of theml Among
all things internal ! pronounce that
the most damnable Young man, how
will that firm treat you when You
are utterly despoiled, and dragged out with
sin, going through the haunts of iniquity for
the purpose of getting customers for their
store! How will they treat you2 O, they
will give you pensions They will build you
a fine house! They will get you horse and
carriage! Will they' No Some day you
will go to the store, shabby, intoxicated, worn
out in their service and they will say: John,
you are a disgrace to our house. Now,
just look at yourself Accountant how
much do we owe this man. "a dollar and
thirty cents" "Well, now. here-here it is;
a dollar and thirty cents. Go off Don't
hang around the store q" Magnanimity superb
They stole the ustre from his eve, and the
color from his cheek, and the honor from his
soul, and then they kicked him out If such
professed Christian merchants do not go
straight to hell, ] don't know any use of hav-
ing such place. Oh, young men, diSappont
the expectation of that firm; disappoint those
customers, if these things are expected of you.
You may sell an extra case of goods; you may
sell an extra roll of silk; but the trouble is,
you may have to throw your soul to boot in
the bargain.
Again: ! counsel all clerks TO conquer the
trials of their particular position. One great
trial for clerks is the in consideration of custom
ers. There are people who are entirely po-
lite everywhere else, but gruff and dictate.
rial and contemplate when they come
into store to buy anything. There
are thousands of men and women who go
from store to store and price things, without
any idea of purchase. They are not satisfied
until every roll of goods is brought down and
they have pointed out all the real or imae in
airy defects. They try on all kinds of kid
gloves and stretch them out of shape and
they put on all styles of cloak and walk to the
mirror to see how it would look, and then
they sail out of the store, saying: II will
not take it to-day" which means:
II don't want it at all, b" leaving the clerk
amid q wreck of ribbons, and acCs and
cloths, to smooth out five hundred dollars
worth of goods-not one cent of which did
that man or woman buy or expect to buy.
Now rail- that dishonesty on the rart Of
the customer. If boy runs into store and
takes roll Of cloth off the counter and sneaks
out into the street, you all join in the
cry pell-mell: "Stop thiefm When /
see you go into store, not expecting to buy
anything, but to price things; stealing the
time of the clerk, and stealing the time of his
employer, say, too: "Stop thief" If | were
asked which class Of persons most need the
grace of God amid their annoyances, I would
say: DRY goods clerks" All the Indignation
of customers about the high prices comes on
the clerk. For instance. a great war comes.
The manufactures are closed. The people
go off to battle The price of goods runs
up. A customer comes into store Goods
"A dollar "a dollar Outrageous. A
dollarW Why, who is 10 blame for the facs
that it has got to be dollar! Does the in
| dignation 20 out to the manufacturers on the
banks of the Merrimac, because they have
closed upf No. Does the Indignation go out
toward the employer, who is out at his coun-
try seat! No. 1t comes on the clerk He
got up the war; He levied the taxesl He
putup the rentsl OF course the clerk!
Then a great trial comes to clerks in the
fact that they see the parsmonious side of hui
man nature. You talk about lies behind the
counter-there are Just as many lies before
the counter. Augustine speaks of a man who
advertised that he would, on Ger.
thin occasion, tell the people what
was in their hearts. A great crowd as
semhled, and he stepped 20 the front and
said: 81 will tell you what is in your hearts
To buy cheap and sell dear" O. people Of
Brooklyn! lay not aside your urhaniy when
you come into store Treat the clerks like
gentlemen and ladies proving yoursel
to be n gentleman or lady. Re
member, that il the prices are high ant
your purse is lean, that it il TO fault of tht
clerks And if you have a son or daughter